LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 14, 8 May 1876, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Several persons have asked (is why we do not get Tm: Mam. registered as a fto/ettc in Bankruptcy, tinder the new Debtor ami Creditors* Aet. The fact is that Oatnani at tlic present time h in such a Nourishing ami substantial condition, commercially speaking, that it would not {>ay the price of postage to make the application. The Thirteenth Aiitmal Meeting of the Northern Agricultural ami Pastoral Association was held in the Mechanics' Institute on Saturday evening last, the president, Mr. Neil Fleming occupying the chair. There were abottt forty gentlemen present, representing large j>astoral ami agricultural interest* in this district. The rc|Hirt and balanecsheet were read ami unanimously adopted. The latter showed that the Association had to its credit the ait in of £292 2s. 2d. The election of oftieera resulted as follows:—President. Mr. J. M'Leatt ; Vice-presidents, Messrs-'. Falconer and Hedley. The members of Committee for the ensuing year are: Misery. M'Lentian. M'Anly, Todd, Young. Christal. Ronayne. Donaldson, Tlee. Morton, Honour. Aaitehisoti, Steward. David iJooth, Stevenson. Sji»" ee, t lardiner, and Kaston. Mr. Church Was re-elected Secretary, and Mr. \V. 11. Konayne as Hon. Tieasucr. Messrs. Ihtnlop and Taylor were elected auditor,*. A vote of thanks: to the chairman efoisent the proceeding*. Mr. Snltivaii, the New Zealand tnttrdcrcr, Isas not been long taking advantage of the Haw in the Victoria littittx of Criminals Act. As soon as he was liberated, this bloodstained gentleman found his way to Ballarat. It is said that he is en route fort leeloiig, and, ; tMsrhaps, after he haa done the chief towns in Victoria, he will endeavour to visit the West Coast of this Island, where we arc sure he earn count on a warm reception. We feel sure the West Coast people would not forget their old friend, but would crowd round him and wring his hands with joy. and probably Eds neefc. too, if a favourable opportunity pre- ; sented itself. The I.ord Bishop of the Diocese, Dr. Neville, officiated yesterday at St. Luke's Church, on [the occasion of the Spceial Thanksgiving Services for the late bountiful 'harvest. The church was appropriately decorated, and the sacred edifice was crowded b«»th morning and evening. His Lordship delivered a very impressive discourse, taking hi* text from Ps. 24, i. The musical part of the service was specially selected for the day, and was creditably rendered by the choir. The rite of Holy Baptism was administered in the afternoon, after which a Special Continuation Service was held, eighteen candidates lieing presented to the Bishop for the latter rite by the rev. the inetttnlicnt. A special meeting of the Vestry will lie held this evening, and we are desired to intimate that it intended to hold a conversazione in connection with his Lordship's visit, the at ragements for which will be duly published when completed. Doctors (writes "Frank Fudge" in the "Saturday Advertiser,") stand about as good a chance of going to heaven as lawyers. At least it would ap{>car so, from the following passage, which occurs in an address presented to Dr. Haines, of the ship Ferngleii, who saved a man front drowning, by jumping into the sea after him: —"And when you have nut your course in life, we trust that God will be as ready to rescue your soul, and take it no to heaven, to lie at rest with him, as yon was in saving the life of ottr unfortunate

friend, Mr. Searle. Accept our most heartfelt thanks and good wishes, and we will give yon our hearty applause with giving tliree cheers." This is about the richest piece of pious irony which I have dropped across for some time. The framer of the address must either have been a funny wag, or a spiritualist. The Doctor must have felt highly complimented at being told that his soul would be in danger of sinking uidess rescued in good time.

It is stated that on an average only one passenger per day travels by a Tasmanian railway company's express train going at the rate of twenty-three miles an hour. The public evidently doubt its safety. The "Southland News" says that the details of a gigantic scheme, having for its object the reclamation of the whole of the shallow portion of iihuT Harbour, will shortly be made public. Its leading feature is the diversion of the railway from immediately beyond Orceuhills across to Colyer's Island, and thence to Spencer's Island —the track of some thousand acres between the new and old line to be reclaimed.

Frank Hewitt, the runner, has found his match in Australia in the person of Watson, a well-known Sydney ped. A telegram from Sydney infomisus that Watson proved himself the better man by a yard, but the distance of the race is not mentioned. -

A Sydney telegram informs us that Mr. Parke* stated in the Assembly that New Zcalaml is receiving all the advantages by working the local cable, ■without participating in any of the expense incurred in laying another cable to Europe, as originally intended at the Conference. The Postmaster-General denied the assertion, and said that the commercial results of the Xew Zealand cable are likely to prove a great benelit to this Colony. A most extraordinary escape from death is thus recorded by the "Orey River Argus ,? : " During a heavy land slip near the Ajax claim, one man narrowly escaped being crushed to death, tiie hut within which he was at the time the slip started being carried away and smashed to pieces. He heard, a rumbling noise, accompanied with a sound of cracking and splitting timbers, and rose and went to the door of the hut to learn the cause of the disturbance. On opening the door he saw the side of the hill above him on the move, and sliding towards him with the speed of an avalanche. There was no time to go forward, so he turned back and endeavoured to escape through the chimney to hi"h ground, but was unable to force a passage through the slabs before the crash came. The hut was broken away and the chimney left standing, and its occupant unharmed. A more extraordinary and narrow escape from a violent death could scarcely be conceived. The " Tablet " calls attention to an occurrence which demands attention from the authorities. It says that one day last week, as r. Catholic clergyman in Dunedin was proceeding oil a sick vi.sit to the Peninsula, the toll-taker on the Anderson's Bay Road, in direct contempt of the law, refused-him per-mi-ssion to pass the bar until he had paid the toll.

In .{i few days operations will l>e resumed at the Milton Pottery Works. The " Bruce Herald " says that ten of tlie potters who were brought to this country by Mr. W. M. White have been engaged by the new company, and they have taken up 500 shares in the venture. Mr. Kecks has been appointed manager. Mr. J. L. Gillies took possession of the premises and plant yesterday, on behalf of the company, and work will be commenced without delay. The " Bruce Herald " has the following : —"Mr. Macassey has been retained for the plaintiff in the case Mackay v. National Bank. As we have already stated, the damages arc laid at £15,000. There is some probability of Mdllc. de Murska visiting this district. One of her agents was in Milton and Br.lclutha a few days ago for the purpose of ascertaining whether suitable halls could be secured. A resident of Balclutha infomis us that £IOO lias been guaranteed in that township. Several of the Otago M.H.ll.'s have promised to support Mr. Bastings when he moves in the Assembly for the construction of the Tapanui Railway.— The temporary staging in connection with tlse railway bridge over the Molyneux now extends half way across the river. One of the iron cylinders has been placed in position, and a second is now being lowered." The following paragraph is going the round of the Home papers :—" Tlic courageous lady who led the women's whiskey war in America iii now in London arranging for a raid upon publicans of the wicked metropolis. Thej* arc to be vanquished in detail by a bevy of matrons taking possession of each publican's bar in turn, anil praying for his conversion as a publican and sinner. It will raise a nice point of police law, for the dames will do their praying silently, and so avoid giving the publican an excuse for calling in the police."

Do our readers know the jelly-fish type of of sermon? It is described by the "Times " as " The nevertheless, sapless, shapeless i>reIcctiou which drags its slow length along the official twenty minutes, monotonous and cold, without prayer, without point, without aim, and without animation, the very purgatory of parochialism." It must be with this type of sermon the anguished correspondent of an Anglican paper is most familiar, for he suggests that " the faithful should be edified by being let off the sermon."